Meter



Jan. 3, 1928. 1,654,541

. 'r. R. GOLDSMITH METER Filed Jan. 29. 1926 INVENTOR 7." f @M Patented Jan. 3, 1928.

UNITED STATES.

lessen PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS RALPH GOLSMI'IH, or ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA, assrenon TO AMERICAN METER coMPAnY INconronA'rEn, on NEW Y RK, a. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELA- METER.

Application filed. January 29, 1926. Serial No. 84,696.

The present invention relates to an improvement in meters and more particularly to mechanism therein for preventing reversal of the indicating and recording devices to fraudulently reduce the reading thereof. It is well known that meters have heretofore been provided withv devices for a similar purpose. In one type a stop is interposed in the path of the tangent arm and arranged to arrest reverse movement thereof after a predetermined number of reverse revolutions of said arm. This mechanism is more elaborate than its function justifies and one object of the present invention has been to measurably simplify the reverse arresting devices in meters without sacrificing sure and effective operation.

One embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the drawings accompanying the present specification and in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a tangent arm and of reverse arresting device, and

Figure 2, a side elevation thereof.

Referring to the drawings the usual tangent arm 1 of a well known meter mechanism is mounted on and rotates with a crank 2. A worm 3 is secured to crank 2 and cooperates with a detent 4:, one end of which is pivotally secured to an arm 5 of a bracket 9 by means of a pivot 6. The free end of the detent has one or more teeth 7 and a stop 8 extending beyond the teeth 7. A lug 10 projecting laterally from the detent at extends under arm 5 of bracket 9. The bracket 9 may also have a lug 11 positioned opposite one side of detent a.

Assuming that the crank 2 will rotate in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow in Figure 1 during normal positive meter operation, detent 4 will ride freely on the upper face of said worm, said detent being prevented from moving out of operative position away from the worm by suitable means such as the lug 1O engaging the under side of arm 5.

Vhen the metering movement is reversed, crank 2 will rotate counter clockwise and worm 3 will mesh with the tooth or teeth 7 as the case may be, depending on whether the permissible reverse movement is to be one or more complete rotations of the crank 2. Thereupon the stop 8 will be moved into binding engagement with the top face of worm 3 thereby stopping rotation of the crank 2. l 1

The detent 4 is loosely mounted on pivot 6 in such away as to be capable of some lateral deflection, for example to and from the position indicated 'in dotted lines in Figure 1. When the parts occupy their relative positions in which the crank is locked against rotation, detent t will bear laterally against a suitable stop, as 11, on bracket 9 so that the detent t will occupy a position substantially radial with respect to the central longitudinal axis of crank 2, as the full line position in Figure 1.

When the meter again operates positively, as when the crank rotates clockwise, the

detent will be upset from its locking position and be deflected to the dotted line position, thus releasing the worm from fric tional or binding engagement with the stop 8. The detent will then move up to unmeshed or free riding position on the upper face of the worm 3. v

I claimas my invention 1. In a meter the combination of a crank,

a worm mounted thereomand' means positioned to permit continuous movement of said crank and worm in one direction of rotation and to frictionally engage said worm to arrest movement of rotation there of in the opposite direction.

2. In a meter the combination of a crank, a worm mounted thereon, and a detent positioned to ride freely on said worm during rotation of the crank in one direction and movable into frictional engagement with said worm after a predetermined increment of rotation of the crank in the opposite direc tion.

3. In a meter the combination of a crank, a worm mounted thereon, and a detent having a toothed portion normally out of mesh- A ing engagement with the worm during positive operation of the meter and movable into frictional meshing engagement with the worm after a predetermined increment of reverse operation of the meter.

4:- In a meter the combination of a crank, a worm mounted thereon, a detent pivotally mounted adjacent thereto and having a portion of its free end riding on said Worm during positive operation of the meter, and another portion of said free end adapted to frictionally engage and arrest rotation of the Worm after a predetermined increment of reverse operation thereof.

5. In a meter the combination of a crank, a Worm mounted thereon, a bracket, a Worm engaging detent pivotally mounted thereon and having its free end supported by said Worm, said free end being defiectable by the Worm laterally away from the bracket during positive operation of the meter and toward the bracket into Worm movement arresting position after a predetermined increment of reverse operation thereof.

6. In a meter, the combination of a crank, a Worm mounted thereon, a bracket and a Worm engaging detent mounted on said bracket, and means. interposed between the detent and the bracket to limit the extent of movement of said detent in a direction away from said Worm.

7. In a meter, the combination of a crank,

a Worm mounted thereon, a bracket and a Worm engaging detent pivotally mounted on 1 said bracket and having a laterally extending'lug engaging a portion of the bracket to limit the extent of longitudinal movement 01 said detent With respect to said Worm.

. 8. In a meter, the combination of a crank,

a Worm mounted thereon, a bracket, and a J an., 1926. a

T. RALPH GOLDSMITH. 

